Latest news with #Klain
CNN
14 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Two top Biden aides set to testify in probe of Biden mental decline
Two more of Joe Biden's top White House aides are set to appear before the House Oversight Committee for scheduled interviews this week as part of the Republican-led panel's intensifying investigation into the former president's cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. The committee has scheduled interviews with former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and former senior adviser Mike Donilon for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. In a departure from some previous high-profile witnesses, the two have signaled they will voluntarily sit for them. As of Tuesday afternoon, the committee had not issued subpoenas compelling their appearances. Several Biden aides have declined to cooperate with the committee's investigation, prompting the panel to subpoena their appearances. They then invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the closed-door meetings. Earlier this month, three Biden aides – White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former special assistant to the president and deputy director of Oval Office operations Annie Tomasini – pleaded the fifth in the face of questions from the panel. Invoking the Fifth Amendment is typically done to avoid answering specific questions, and though it can be perceived by the public as a way of avoiding accountability, the US Supreme Court has long regarded the right against self-incrimination as a venerable part of the Constitution. Still, a number of Biden aides have sat for voluntary sat for interviews with the panel. Former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain, for example, told the committee last week that Hillary Clinton had expressed concerns to him in 2023 that Biden's age was an issue the campaign hadn't dealt with effectively, and that national security adviser Jake Sullivan told him in 2024 after the presidential debate that Biden wasn't as effective as he once had been, a source familiar with the matter previously told CNN. Klain told the committee that he believed Biden had the mental sharpness to serve as president and he saw no reason to doubt Biden's mental acuity, another source said. A Clinton spokesman did not dispute Klain's account, but said Clinton was concerned with how the question of Biden's age was being handled politically in light of the attacks and questions he was facing. As with Klain, Neera Tanden, the former White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Ashley Williams, former special assistant to the president and deputy director of Oval Office Operations, sat for transcribed interviews. According to a source familiar with her interview, Williams told the committee she believes that Biden was in command the night of the debate and was fit to be president, including now. The source said Williams stated she 'did not recall' many times during her five-hour interview to several questions, including whether teleprompters were used for Cabinet meetings, if there were discussions about Biden using a wheelchair, if there were discussions about Biden undergoing a cognitive test, if she discussed Biden declining physically or mentally, if she ever had to wake Biden up, and how she got involved in his 2020 campaign. The source said that Williams would not say a good memory was an important trait for working at the White House. An attorney representing Williams did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening. The committee is expected transcribe interviews with additional high-level aides next week, including with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed on Tuesday and former senior adviser to the president for communications Anita Dunn on Thursday. Other former aides expected to testify in the coming months include: former special assistant to the president and senior adviser in the White House Counsel's Office Ian Sams on August 21; former deputy assistant to the president and senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates on September 5; former assistant to the president and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on September 12; and former chief of staff Jeff Zients on September 18. Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Hillary Clinton sounded alarm on Joe Biden's political viability 'by 2024', House investigators hear
Ex-President Joe Biden's former chief of staff Ron Klain told House investigators that Hillary Clinton approached him with concerns about the octogenarian leader's political viability "by 2024," Fox News Digital has learned. Klain spoke with staff on the House Oversight Committee for over five hours on Thursday, as Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., continues to probe whether top Biden aides concealed signs of mental decline in the ex-president. A source familiar with his voluntary interview told Fox News Digital that Klain believed Biden was mentally sharp enough to serve as president, and was not too old to run. But the ex-secretary of state and former Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan both "approached Ron Klain stating they believed Joe Biden was not politically viable" months before he dropped his re-election bid in July 2024, the source said. Sullivan told Klain that Biden "was less effective in 2024 compared to 2022," the source said. It's not immediately clear if Biden's mental acuity was the reasoning for their doubts, nor if they made the case to Klain together or separately. But it's a significant indictment coming from top national Democrats of Biden in general, long before concerns about his fitness for office within the party were made public knowledge. Adrienne Watson, a representative for Sullivan, denied the account in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate," Watson said. Sullivan had been a top aide to both Biden and Clinton, having served as the latter's senior policy advisor during her 2016 campaign. Klain, who served as White House chief of staff for the first half of Biden's term, conceded that the then-president was less energetic and more forgetful, though he defended his "acuity to govern," the source said. "Mr. Klain stated that President Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and it got worse over time," the source said. Fox News Digital was told that Klain also said there was no reason to doubt President Donald Trump's own mental fitness. Klain said nothing to reporters when going in or out of the committee room Thursday. He's the sixth former Biden administration aide to appear for Comer's probe. And despite the interview being largely staff-led, Comer did make an appearance for the early half of the sit-down, and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., were both briefly there as well. Both Biggs and Khanna called Klain "credible" from what they saw inside the room. "I think he is telling what he knows accurately," Biggs told Fox News Digital. On the other side of the aisle, Khanna told reporters, "He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative." Three other former Biden White House aides who previously appeared – Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and ex-White House doctor Kevin O'Connor – all appeared under subpoena and pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Longtime Biden aide Ashley Williams and ex-staff secretary Neera Tanden, like Klain, came for voluntary transcribed interviews. Jeff Zients, who served as Biden's chief of staff for the final two years, was also asked to sit for a transcribed interview, a committee aide previously told Fox News Digital. A source familiar with the Biden team's thinking previously called Republicans' probe "dangerous" and "an attempt to smear and embarrass." "And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump's DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge," that source said. Fox News Digital also reached out to Klain's attorney as well as a contact for comment for Clinton but did not hear back by press time. Originally published as Hillary Clinton sounded alarm on Joe Biden's political viability 'by 2024', House investigators hear
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Ex-Biden chief of staff told congressional staffers that Clinton, Sullivan raised concerns about Biden's waning support
Former President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, told staffers on the House Oversight Committee that former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised concerns to him in 2023 and 2024 about Biden's political chances, two sources familiar with the matter said. One of the sources said Klain told staffers that Clinton and Sullivan approached him with the belief that Biden was 'not politically viable.' But another pushed back on that characterization. That source said Klain told the committee Clinton had told him, 'The campaign was not succeeding in dealing with the age issue.' Klain said Clinton made the comment in 2023, that source said. And he told the committee that after Biden's weak performance at CNN's Presidential Debate last June, which furthered questions about his mental acuity, Sullivan told him that Biden 'was losing support.' Klain served as White House chief of staff for Biden's first two years; Clinton was not in his administration. A Clinton spokesman did not dispute Klain's account, but said Clinton was concerned with how the question of Biden's age was being handled politically in light of the attacks and questions he was facing. 'Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate,' a representative for Sullivan, Adrienne Watson, told CNN. Klain was appearing as part of the committee's investigation into Biden's mental fitness and decline. One source said Klain told staffers he believed that Biden had the mental sharpness to serve as president and that he did not think Donald Trump was too old to run, but acknowledged that Biden was less energetic and more forgetful. Klain said Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and he appeared tired and ill before the CNN debate, the source said. The GOP-led committee has sought interviews with former Biden White House aides and even his White House physician, who refused to answer questions earlier this month. While Biden faced questions about his age and mental fitness throughout his presidency, scrutiny mounted following the disastrous CNN debate which ultimately led him to drop out of the race, making way for then-Vice President Kamala Harris to assume the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton was among the high-profile Democrats who immediately threw their support behind Harris after Biden stepped aside. But in the months since the 2024 election, new reports have emerged on the extent of Biden's decline. According to the book 'Original Sin,' from CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson – Biden, in the final two years of his presidency, had private moments where he could not recall the names of top aides, had an increasingly limited private schedule, was prone to incoherence and losing his train of thought, and was hidden from the public eye to shield the extent of his decline. The book revealed several instances of Democratic lawmakers, White House aides, members of Biden's Cabinet and Democratic donors being shocked at Biden's diminishing mental and physical capabilities during his reelection bid. But nearly all did not speak out publicly or try to stop him from running. 'Biden, his family, and his team let their self-interest and fear of another Trump term justify an attempt to put an at times addled old man in the Oval Office for four more years,' the book reads. CNN's Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Ex-Biden chief of staff told congressional staffers that Clinton, Sullivan raised concerns about Biden's waning support
Former President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, told staffers on the House Oversight Committee that former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised concerns to him in 2023 and 2024 about Biden's political chances, two sources familiar with the matter said. One of the sources said Klain told staffers that Clinton and Sullivan approached him with the belief that Biden was 'not politically viable.' But another pushed back on that characterization. That source said Klain told the committee Clinton had told him, 'The campaign was not succeeding in dealing with the age issue.' Klain said Clinton made the comment in 2023, that source said. And he told the committee that after Biden's weak performance at CNN's Presidential Debate last June, which furthered questions about his mental acuity, Sullivan told him that Biden 'was losing support.' Klain served as White House chief of staff for Biden's first two years; Clinton was not in his administration. A Clinton spokesman did not dispute Klain's account, but said Clinton was concerned with how the question of Biden's age was being handled politically in light of the attacks and questions he was facing. 'Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate,' a representative for Sullivan, Adrienne Watson, told CNN. Klain was appearing as part of the committee's investigation into Biden's mental fitness and decline. One source said Klain told staffers he believed that Biden had the mental sharpness to serve as president and that he did not think Donald Trump was too old to run, but acknowledged that Biden was less energetic and more forgetful. Klain said Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and he appeared tired and ill before the CNN debate, the source said. The GOP-led committee has sought interviews with former Biden White House aides and even his White House physician, who refused to answer questions earlier this month. While Biden faced questions about his age and mental fitness throughout his presidency, scrutiny mounted following the disastrous CNN debate which ultimately led him to drop out of the race, making way for then-Vice President Kamala Harris to assume the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton was among the high-profile Democrats who immediately threw their support behind Harris after Biden stepped aside. But in the months since the 2024 election, new reports have emerged on the extent of Biden's decline. According to the book 'Original Sin,' from CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson – Biden, in the final two years of his presidency, had private moments where he could not recall the names of top aides, had an increasingly limited private schedule, was prone to incoherence and losing his train of thought, and was hidden from the public eye to shield the extent of his decline. The book revealed several instances of Democratic lawmakers, White House aides, members of Biden's Cabinet and Democratic donors being shocked at Biden's diminishing mental and physical capabilities during his reelection bid. But nearly all did not speak out publicly or try to stop him from running. 'Biden, his family, and his team let their self-interest and fear of another Trump term justify an attempt to put an at times addled old man in the Oval Office for four more years,' the book reads. CNN's Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Was less effective in 2024 than 2022': Hillary Clinton flagged concerns on Biden's 'viability' before re-election bid; ex-NSA Jake Sullivan also approached Ron Klain
Hillary Clinton along with former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan privately expressed doubts about Joe Biden 's political viability ahead of his 2024 re-election bid, according to Biden's White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain's statement, as reported by Fox News. Klain's testimony came as part of the House Oversight Committee's ongoing probe into whether senior Biden aides concealed signs of cognitive decline during his final year in office. The session marked the latest in a series of transcribed interviews led by Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.). According to a source familiar with the exchange, cited by Fox News, Klain said both Clinton and Sullivan approached him with concerns that Biden lacked the political sustainability to run again. He claimed Sullivan believed the then-president had been notably less effective in 2024 compared to 2022. The source also noted that Klain admitted Biden had shown increasing forgetfulness and signs of fatigue, though he defended the president's mental competence. 'Mr. Klain stated that President Biden often confused names and proper nouns, and it got worse over time,' the source told Fox News, adding that Klain still believed Biden had the 'acuity to govern". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo This internal criticism reportedly came months before Biden's July 2024 withdrawal from the race and well before public concerns about his age and fitness for office became widespread. however, Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for Sullivan, denied the account saying, 'Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate.' Sullivan had previously served as a senior adviser to both Biden and Clinton, including as Clinton's chief policy adviser during her 2016 campaign. Klain, who declined to speak to the media before and after the session, is the sixth former Biden official to testify in the investigation. The rest of the interview touched on Biden's mental acuity, with Klain reiterating that he never questioned Donald Trump 's cognitive health. The interview was mostly staff-led, with Chairman Comer and Representatives Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) attending portions of it. Both lawmakers said Klain appeared forthcoming. 'I think he is telling what he knows accurately,' Biggs told Fox News Digital. 'He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative,' Khanna added. Several other former aides, including Ashley Williams and Neera Tanden, have participated in the inquiry voluntarily. Three others, including ex-White House physician Kevin O'Connor, invoked the Fifth Amendment. The committee has also requested testimony from Jeff Zients, Biden's last chief of staff. A source close to Biden's inner circle previously characterized the probe as a politically driven effort. 'This is a dangerous attempt to smear and embarrass,' the source said. 'And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump's DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge.'
